Here's To Round Three
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day six hundred and ninety-two: First day of senior year, and Rachel can just see it... What better than a great big musical number?


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 32nd cycle. Now cycle 33!_

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><p><strong>Hear that little bird twitter!<strong> _Been thinking about doing this for a couple days, then this morning decided to just go for it. If you go there, find 'gleekathon' and there I'll be. There's also a video explaining everything... Yep... ;) Check it out!_

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><p><strong>"Here's To Round Three"<br>New Directions**

**A/N: At the time of planning this, a while back, there were no spoilers, and Sam was still there, etc.  
>I didn't want to have to change it, so here it is. The song is 'Brand New Day' from 'The Wiz' Look it<br>****up on YouTube, the story follows it as it unfolds... It's one of my biggest 'please do it on the show!' songs. **

Rachel had been ready for this… for weeks, more than weeks… And at the same time it left her with something like fear… Senior year… Everything she could want to happen for herself in high school now had just a few months to happen or she would never get them. But it wasn't bad, no… She had Finn, again, but all the more she had… all these surprises waiting for her, no idea what this year had in store for her.

Coming to a stop, right as her feet landed on school grounds, Rachel took a deep breath, smiling wide. Finn came to a stop at her side, looking around before turning to her and noticing the look on her face. "Rachel?" She turned her smile on to him.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," she shrugged, but then he took her hand and she smiled. "This is our year, I can feel it!" she spun back to look at the building and they could practically hear the music already.

Their senior year hadn't even officially kicked off, but already it was just filled with silly nostalgia… Their last this-and-that of high school… And now walking carefully toward the school, William McKinley High School had never looked so inviting. Even in its imperfections… glaring as they were… it was their place, the one where they had grown, and learned, and loved… The birth place of their pride and not many others' joy, the New Directions.

Other kids rushed on by, others idled… Friends reunited, enemies… reignited… The break-ups, hook-ups, and shake-ups of summer just buzzed on by, the gossip machine cranking back to life. Faculty members filed in, bracing for one more year… And somewhere in there, at least for those who had 'opened themselves up to joy,' there was so much to look forward to. They could just feel it all vibrate in them, in the music around them, like they knew… All they had to do was open those doors and it would just explode…

The faces would stand out from the pack, glowing with the music in them, and Rachel zoned in on Artie as he came rolling down.

_[A] "Everybody look around / 'Cause there's a reason to rejoice you see"_

As he passed on by, it was as though he tugged them out of the crowd, one left, one right, Brittany, Tina…

_[BT] "Everybody come out / And let's commence to singing joyfully"_

Rachel and Finn rushed on up to them, just as glad to see them again, and they all leaned in with one another, Rachel carrying on.

_[R] "Everybody look up / And feel the hope that we've been waiting for"_

Now even more of them arrived as the group carried on down the hall, a barrier from any who would dare mock, laugh, slushie, or even throw sticks. There was Quinn, there was Puck, and Mike, there was Lauren… They felt it, too.

_[QPMiL] "Everybody's glad / Because our silent fear and dread is gone / Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully / Just look about / You owe it to yourself to check it out"_

Now it seemed they were on the prowl, nine strong and still several missing within their ranks. Their song was their call, beckoning as they marched on by.

_[R+8] "Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day"_

And then there they were, two more of their own, so close by in their arrivals they might have been together. First came Sam, then Mercedes, addressing the others who pulled them in.

_[Sm] "Everybody be glad / Because the sun is shining just for us" / [Me] "Everybody wake up / Into the morning into happiness"_

_[K] "Hello world"_

And then, out of nowhere, there was Kurt, bringing them to a joyful stop, welcoming him. Just one missing now, and Brittany broke out when she saw her, offering her hand out, which Santana finally took with a smirk.

_[B] "It's like a different way of living now" / [Sn] "And thank you world" / [BSn] "We always knew that we'd be free somehow"_

Now there they all were, and Rachel couldn't help looking around at all of them, her brothers and sisters in song.

_[R+ND] "In harmony / And show the world that we've got liberty_

_It's such a change / For us to live so independently / Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully / Just look about / You owe it to yourself to check it out / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day?"_

Now that they'd united, it didn't seem like anything could happen or matter, no classes… Now they were one voice, untouchable.

_[A] "Everybody be glad / Because the sun is shining just for us" / [R] "Everybody wake up / Into the morning into happiness" / [Girls] "Hello world" / [R+ND] "It's like a different way of living now" / [Guys] "And thank you world" / [R+ND] "We always knew that we'd be free somehow / In harmony / And show the world that we've got liberty"_

_[All] "It's such a change / For us to live so independently / Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully / Just look about / You owe it to yourself to check it out / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day? / Can't you feel a brand new day?"_

And then all of a sudden there they were, at the door to the room… their room… and there they were, waiting for them… Brad, and the band… and Mr. Schuester. Maybe somewhere along the way they would disagree on certain things, but right now none of that existed. Why should it? This was celebration, finding old friends again, getting back to the things that brought them joy.

And they'd get right down to business, starting with vocal exercises, new choreography… Then they'd be in the auditorium, filling that stage with everything they had.

But ignore it as they might, the rest of life at McKinley would catch up with them, trying to wear them out with taunts, anger… homework… Now more than ever, they were going to rely on one another, the knowledge of what this year was for some of them bringing them closer.

Finally the day would end… One down, so many to go, but every one of those still… counting down…

This was their life right now. They may not have known what would come, but they didn't have to. Everyone was there, making it one to remember.

Rachel stood at a stop, looking at that building, Finn at her side… and she breathed in a smile.

"Yes…" she quieted the music, looking back at Finn for a moment. "I feel it," she nodded. "It's our year, all of us, all of our year," she held on to his hand.

"If we don't go in there, they'll start without us… and we'll be late on our first day… our first class on our first day," he pointed out.

"More than that," she led him to the doors. "Our last first class on our last first day of the high school year," she beamed as he held the door open… So it began.

THE END

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><p><strong>AN: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.  
><strong>**In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are  
><strong>******always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!******


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